Another Rebuttal
by Prof. Obi Nwakanma

This is utter revisionism. Sam Mbakwe was not in that meeting in Enugu between Ojukwu and Awo in 1967. Eni Njoku, Nwakanma-Okoro, Pius Okigbo, Mojekwu, etc., yes. But Mbakwe was not in that meeting. So, Bola Ige could not have been directing the question to him if he indeed made such a claim. I'm not even sure that Ige himself was in that room for that meeting, and so this calls to question the authenticity of these claims. In any case, Ojukwu had the transcripts of that meeting secretly recorded, and he published it. The Igbo are not making up this thing on Awo. Secondly, the examples given of Yoruba "handshakes" are inacurate. First, in 1947, Zik reached out to Awo and members of the new Egbe for a common front through the Nigerian Renewal Group. In 1955, the NCNC reached out to the AG again to forge common grounds over the Lyttleton Constitution, and it nearly worked until the issue of the status of Lagos threw it all askance. Azikiwe and the NCNC no hand in the destruction of the AG and the West. As a matter of fact, in 1960, it was the Western Regional Committee of the NCNC, Awo's own kinsmen, who argued vehemently against a coalition government with the Action Group, and threatened to quit The NCNC should such an agreement be reached. The Eastern NCNC, particularly Okpara, was in favor of an NCNC-AG coalition. But realpolitik forced that agreement with NPC. In any case, the Akintola faction of the AG was already negotiating with the Northern party, while NCNC was receiving the other faction of the AG in Onitsha. Awolowo himself, very clearly in his interviews blamed Balewa and Akintola for his travails, never the Igbo. In fact, while he was in prison in Calabar, the Eastern Government placed his wife, Hannah, on a ministerial salary, with an official Mercedes Benz car. It was all part of the reaons behind Okpara's refusal when Awo reached out to him in 1977, to consider running with him. Okpara reminded Awo, that while he (Awo) was in jail, he (Okpara) took care of him and his family. But when Okpara went into indigent exile, Awo neither reached out nor took care of his family. In fact, the NCNC kept the Action Group alive from 1963/4. It could not have survived without the material and logistical support provided by Okpara's Government. Eastern Nigeria basically funded UPGA. The 1964 Federal Elections boycott did not succeed in the West. It was completely successful in the East. But following the collapse of the boycott in the West, the East had no alternative than to conduct elections. The 1981 PPA attempts did not happen chiefly because, Aminu Kano, already sick, did not support the move with the proposition made by the UPN of an Awo presidency. Secondly, the UPN insisted on Awo as coalition candidate. But perhaps more important was that time was too short to reach agreements before the 1983 elections. I've given you a summary of these events. There's too much revisionism going on right now. But I do agree with the writer that we must not be detained by the issues of the past before we forge a useful alliance. But please note, that one of the lingering, unresolved questions of that past is the status of Lagos and the demographic implications of the Igbo presence in Lagos. This surge of the Igbo Westward is a source of great Yoruba anxiety, and we must address it all as part of this handshake now being touted as our saving ploy.

What is this "Status of Lagos"?

Make una allow the spirit of these people to rest na. Haba. Op, your source. But all these while, we have been hearing ojukwu had transcript of that meeting. Make una post the transcript na. Na wa o.

On that "Historical Perspective of Hatred," I knew there were serious gaps that the writer probably left on purpose. For instance, he ignored the popular cross-carpeting and Zik betrayal in Lagos.

He further ignored the economic blockade, the 20 Pounds and Indigenization Policy saga which crippled the post-war Igbo and repositioned the Yoruba to an advantage we are still trying to match.

The Yoruba must however, understand that "chop alone' breeds hatred and resentment. They may wish to ask the pre-WW2 Jews. And this is why we must level the playing field.

Thank you Prof. Nwakanma, for filling the gaps and thus challenging a rewrite of history.

Oooh they even peddled a greater lies again
Ibadan express news no dey tire...

we now know the better truth
God bless u Prof Nwakanma

FAKE NEWS.


No source


Exits only on NL


Obviously the OP's fabrication.


Delete.

But your elders couldn't look Bola Ige in the eyes when he was hitting their flat heads with facts.
Moreover, you have no status in Lagos other than being mere Refugees and Scavengers

-truth burns

.

Stay in your Ogbomosho hut and be looking for who will give you source of information. Don't make use of the internet

deomelo:
FAKE NEWS.


No source


Exits only on NL


Obviously the OP's fabrication.


Delete.

[s]

deomelo:
FAKE NEWS.


No source


Exits only on NL


Obviously the OP's fabrication


Delete.

[/s]